KALAMAZOO – The old and the new may have given Western Michigan University’s volleyball team at least one more match this season.

View full sizeGazette photo / Paul MorganWestern Michigan University senior Ashley Turnage goes up for a block against Valparaiso's Janelle Hobbs during Saturday night's match at University Arena. Turnage had five blocks to help WMU sweep the Crusaders.

The Broncos’ lone senior, Lawton’s Ashley Turnage, was a hitting and blocking machine while freshman Claire Gerwig showed her injured ankle is almost 100 percent against Valparaiso Saturday night at University Arena. The two combined for 17 kills to help WMU storm through the Crusaders, 25-11, 25-21, 25-18 before almost 1,000 fans.

Western (24-8) will have about 24 hours to wait for the NCAA selections to be announced on Sunday. With a ranking of 35th nationally, it might just be enough to make the big dance.

The win was a far different performance than last weekend’s three-set pummeling from Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference postseason tournament.

“We just wanted to come out and have fun,’’ Turnage said. “We didn’t want a performance like the one against Central to be one of the season’s final matches.’’

When Western was rolling with a 17-3 lead in the first set, it looked like last week was just a bad memory.

“We have a young group that hadn’t experienced that bad of a match,’’ WMU coach Colleen Munson said. “We learned our lesson and had some very good practices this week.

“This is what they are capable of doing. Whether the season ends tonight or not, we just wanted to make sure we felt good about the way we played.’’

Turnage had nine kills and hit .261, then added one solo block and four block assists on defense.

“We’re just so glad Ashley could have a match like this in her final home match,’’ Munson said. “She did a great job.’’

The young group of freshmen - Gerwig, Carlee Berland, Terin Norris and Kaycee Acree – along with Richelle Ranney, who is being redshirted, played like they had during Western’s 10-match winning streak. It was a far different group than when the Broncos had lost three straight entering the match against Valparaiso.

Gerwig had a breakout match, even though it came at the end of the season. Bothered by an ankle injury since August, she has shared the second leftside hitter’s spot with Berland. It was Gerwig’s night to shine, though, as she nailed eight kills and had just one error in 14 swings, a .500 hitting percentage.

“The look in her eyes showed how determined she was,’’ Munson said. “Determined and not desperate, which is something the girls have talked about.’’

Gerwig said her ankle is getting better, but the way she pounded kill after kill, it looked to be almost 100 percent healthy.

“My play has gotten a lot stronger and Terin (freshman setter Terin Norris) are really connecting,’’ she said.

Norris and all the hitters were really connecting. Junior Jessica Brown led the Broncos with 10 kills and sophomore Ali Gossen had nine kills and no errors, hitting .375 from the left. Sophomore Gillian Asque also had nine kills.

Western hit .288 as a team and held the Crusaders (20-15) to .088. The Broncos’ defense was some of their best of the season as out dug Valparaiso, 63-53, and had 15 blocks to the Crusaders’ five.